Hand signal



April 7, 1942.

HAND S IGNAL Filed Oct. 25, .1940

. WILEY H. WILLIAMS Zmventor (Ittorneg w. M. WILLIAMS 2,279,029

Patented Apr. 7, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAND SIGNAL Wiley M.Williams, Spokane, Wash.

Application October 25, 1940, Serial No. 362,711

3 Claims.

My present invention relates to automotive hand signals of the type andcharacter that will aid, especially at night-time, in indicating to apassing motorist a change of position that is to be made with respect tothe roadway or lane, a left-hand or a right-hand turn or a stop.

For many years the practice has been followed to indicate by hand a moveto be made by the operator of a car. Especially at night-time this isnot a good system, though possibly the best available at the presenttime.

I propose in the present instance to aid the arm or hand signal bysupplying a car operator with a device having reflecting surfaces bothfront and rear to more clearly indicate to other drivers or pedestriansthat a move is to be made. This device is primarily to be worn on thehand during the operation of the car.

A principal object of the invention is to supply a hand signallingdevice which may be worn by a car operator or driver without disturbingor interfering with the ordinary use of the hand for manipulating thecar.

Another object is to provide devices to be worn upon the hand which willhave intensified reflecting surfaces readily discernible which willmaterially assist in determining a given move by a preceding driver orone approaching.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing a flexibleset of reflecting pads, adjustable to all drivers, which will beserviceable in use and which may quickly and easily be removed from thehand when no longer required.

This and other objects will be explained and illustrated in the drawingherewith in which Figure 1 is a perspective view'of the device of myinvention,

Figure 2 is a view taken to show the position of adjustment to the lefthand of a car operator showing the hand in dotted lines to indicate thepreferred adjusted position, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the underside of the reflector padused upon the back of the hand and showing a loop for engaging on one ofthe fingers to keep it in proper position.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of my invention, and in which like numerals areemployed to designate like parts throughout the same, the numeral Illindicates as a whole a lightreflecting pad comprising generally aflexible body of elliptical shape, and having a metallic surface coatingconsisting of an outwardly disposed flexible light-reflecting surfacell, combined with said flexible body and properly bound around the edgesas with the binding l2 to insure a useable and wearable part or portionof my signal.

In cooperation with the flexible pad I0 is a second and also flexiblepad I3 preferably circular in form and having the characteristics of thefirst pad being made of suitable flexible material havinglight-reflecting surfaces as explained above and a suitable binding. Tothe binding edges of the pads l0 and I3, or in any other suitablemanner, I have secured elastic strips l4. These strips may also be madeadjustable through the utilization of fittings as l5|6 which makepossible a close adjustment to the hand of wearers, especially inextremes between a large mans size hand and that of a woman driver. a

On the forward end of the pad I0 I form a finger loop I! which aids insecuring the pad ill in the proper position for signalling.

In use the hand signal of my invention is applied over the hand asillustrated in Figure 2. The elongated or elliptical shaped pad I0 ismounted on the back of the hand, the second finger is slipped throughthe loop l5 and the circular pad I3 is adjusted substantially over thewrist as indicated in the drawing. If there is any slackness in theelliptical supporting strips between the two pads, adjustment may bemade by using the slide elements I 5-4 6 to effect a proper support ofthe signal upon the hand.

Thereafter the signal may be removed and replaced as often as necessary,otherwise it is carried in some convenient pocket of the wearer, or

about the car as may be desired. Being entirely flexible both in respectto the backing of the pad and of the reflecting surfaces thereon, thedevice will withstand wear and continued use over a considerable periodof time.

With the various metallic finishes available, it is entirely practicalto make the flexible pad base of leather, leatherette, flexible paper,or other similar material, and to apply directly thereto some form ofmetallic coating to secure the proper reflecting surface. This finishedsurface is intended to be so formed by crimping or crenelating as toprovide a crinkled surface having facets so that light reflection can beseen from any angles. Otherwise the backing and the surface material maytake any roughened form that will best reflect.

The metallic surface is covered with Cellophane or other transparentsurface to protect the metallic surface from scratching or oxidizationthat would lessen its distance.

power to be readily seen at a When used the hand signal follows the handin its indicated direction of movement of thecar. Drivers coming .upfrom the rear will be more positively advised of a turn or other changeof position of the car in advance when this signal isused.Carsinfrontwillseethesmallerdisc in time to be safely under controlunder signal conditions. It is thus powble under unusually dangerousconditions, such as on dark and rainy nights, or when a signal operatoris wearing dark clothing, to have an illuminated signal that will followthe movement of the signal hand to indicate a desired change of positionon a highway,

-or at other places where signalling is necessary. Having thus fullydescribed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A hand signal comprising a flexible ellipticalpadandacimularflexlblepadsafipadshaving colored reflecting surfaces ontheir outer faces, and being connected to each other along their outeredges by elastic straps, the ellipticalpad ,having an elastic loopformed on the under sid and near one end of said pad.

2. A hand signal comprising a plurality of flexible pads havingreflective surfaces, said pads being adapted to be disposed on variousportions of the human hand including elastic straps connecting the padsserially so that when the signal is on the hand it encircles the widestpart thereof, and a loop on oneot said pads engageable by one or more 01the digits of said hand but not including the thumb.

3. A hand signal to be worn without impairment of the gripping action ofsuch a member

